Dems Move to Leverage Sanders' Popularity as Party Regroups

He also suggested that there's some common ground between the two men.

Despite coming so close to winning the Democrat nomination for president, self-avowed socialist and registered Independent Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has once again turned down the offer of officially joining the Democrat Party.

While pledging to keep the president-elect accountable, Sanders also cemented his own role in creating "major, major reforms" within the Democratic Party and leading his revolution. "Donald Trump, we are not going back!"

Sen. Sanders said after a hard election cycle it's clear that Americans are looking for change. Sanders said the party must put equal energy into mobilising grassroots support outside the Washington beltway as it puts into work inside the beltway.

U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders leaves after attending the Senate Democrat party leadership elections at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Nov. 16. 'California is ignored politically.

"I spoke in 46 states in this country and what I saw was incredible", Sanders told Colbert.

Sanders, speaking with reporters at a Christian Science Monitor sponsored breakfast, said he is ready to embrace Trump on a handful of campaign promises.

"I saw so many attractive people, especially young people, black, white, Latino, Asian-American, Native American, incredibly handsome people who want to make this country into the country that we all know it can become, not only trying to wipe out prejudice, but create an economy that works for all of us, not just the 1%", Sanders explained. When you've lost some 900 seats in legislatures around the country in the last eight years, ' he said, heaping it on. "Ordinary people should get to know that the Democratic Party stands for them".

According tothe New York Times, his speech tackled more on working class issues where Mr. Trump had said that he is going to be the champion of the working class.

"Do I think our campaign, in a sense, made Hillary Clinton a better candidate?" He wants to harness Sanders' popularity with young and working class voters during the hard-fought primary battle with Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

But the appointment of Mr Sanders to his new role was not expected. He said he would not "retreat" on the progress America has made when it comes to discrimination, and he repeated his call for Trump to withdraw his appointment of Bannon, who has given a platform to the alt-right on his website Breitbart.

Sanders disputed the notion that his attacks against Clinton - most notably on her paid speeches to Wall Street banks - may have contributed to her defeat in the general election against Trump.

The Vermont senator went on to describe how many people in the United States, including students, seniors and single mothers, can not afford basic needs and have tens of thousands of dollars debt.

Sanders' popularity was on display Wednesday night.

"To the degree that he pursues racist, sexist, xenophobic and anti-environment policies, we will vigorously oppose him".

Senator Sherrod Brown, Democrat of OH, long a critic of trade deals, said in an interview that he had spoken extensively with Mr. Trump's trade adviser and would work with him on issues concerning steel workers.